Rogue Wave Hits Viking Ship

[TrulyBlonde]

https://www.foxnews.com/world/viking-polaris-passengers-speak-rogue-wave-strikes-antarctic-cruise-ship-killing-american-woman#&_intcmp=hp1bt4,hp1bt

[jimdee3636]

I'm booked on a HAL cruise a year from now from Santiago to Buenos Aires. This particular sailing (unlike some others) does not go farther south than Ushuaia. Would a cruise like this technically be going into the Drake Passage, or does it pretty much hug the shore as it rounds the tip of South America? And is even a "hug the shore" route frequently treacherous in that part of the world?

[Heidi13]

57 minutes ago, jimdee3636 said:

I'm booked on a HAL cruise a year from now from Santiago to Buenos Aires. This particular sailing (unlike some others) does not go farther south than Ushuaia. Would a cruise like this technically be going into the Drake Passage, or does it pretty much hug the shore as it rounds the tip of South America? And is even a "hug the shore" route frequently treacherous in that part of the world?

 

The HAL ship won't be crossing Drake Passage, as i don't believe any of them have the required Polar Classification to operate below 60S.

 

A number of options are available to round the "Horn", with 1 option being going around the very bottom, but sticking close to shore. The other 2 options involve taking channels through the islands. The Master will determine the best route based on the conditions.

[CurlerRob]

1 hour ago, jimdee3636 said:

I'm booked on a HAL cruise a year from now from Santiago to Buenos Aires. This particular sailing (unlike some others) does not go farther south than Ushuaia. Would a cruise like this technically be going into the Drake Passage, or does it pretty much hug the shore as it rounds the tip of South America? And is even a "hug the shore" route frequently treacherous in that part of the world?

As @Heidi13 noted, you won’t be in the Drake per se, but be aware that the unpredictable weather in the southern ocean is not confined to the passage!

 

Some years ago, we were not able to get to Cape Horn, as conditions were too severe to venture out of the inner channels. Sad to miss the horn, but still a great and safe trip! The pic is from one of the fjords. 🍺🥌

 

[Mich3554]

2 hours ago, CurlerRob said:

As @Heidi13 noted, you won’t be in the Drake per se, but be aware that the unpredictable weather in the southern ocean is not confined to the passage!

 

Some years ago, we were not able to get to Cape Horn, as conditions were too severe to venture out of the inner channels. Sad to miss the horn, but still a great and safe trip! The pic is from one of the fjords. 🍺🥌

 

Same thing happened to us back in 2019-20.  We got out of the channel and the captain did a U turn and returned to the internal channels.  
Last year when we did this trip, we managed to make it around the horn.  The weather was still pretty ugly.  

[UWDawg]

6 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

 

The HAL ship won't be crossing Drake Passage, as i don't believe any of them have the required Polar Classification to operate below 60S.

 

A number of options are available to round the "Horn", with 1 option being going around the very bottom, but sticking close to shore. The other 2 options involve taking channels through the islands. The Master will determine the best route based on the conditions.

As an example of the routes @Heidi13 describes, during the 21/22 World Cruise, the Viking Star sailed parts of the Magellan Straits, before traversing the Beagle Channel and then, diverting down and circumnavigate Hornos Island so that the World Cruisers could  say that they rounded Cape Horn.  

Below are some images I captured of our route along with a photo I took looking north as we rounded Cape Horn.  I've also included a snippet from the Captains log/scrapbook.  I recall being told that if the seas were too rough we would have to forgo rounding the horn.

 

 

 

 

Viking Star cruised Beagle Channel early morning toward Cape Horn.
Weather around the Isle Hornos was with gale force 8 winds from the North.
Viking Star navigated around the Cape Horn at 10:00 hrs.
Southernmost pos: S 55” 59’7  W 069” 14’1

 

As you can see, during our passage the seas were fairly calm.  I am thankful that the Captain Olav was able to find a window and time our passage between storms.  After the events of this past week and reading the notes in this forum, I now realize how very lucky we were to have such calm seas.  A few days earlier I recall during the Captain's noontime announcements him commenting how we were trying to avoid the storm passing through the Drake Passage which had hurricane-force winds.

[OnTheJourney]

On 12/2/2022 at 5:28 PM, Mittens101 said:

what happened on the sky?

I was going to reference the event but I see that someone already did. 

Edited December 9, 2022 by OnTheJourney

[OnTheJourney]

On 12/3/2022 at 9:29 AM, Twitchly said:

The other 99.99% are thankfully uneventful. 

Exactly. Same for all the thousands of daily flights that you never hear about because all went well. Having been on the Sky when that '19 event happened, it has not stopped me from cruising. 

[Haworth]

1 hour ago, OnTheJourney said:

Exactly. Same for all the thousands of daily flights that you never hear about because all went well. Having been on the Sky when that '19 event happened, it has not stopped me from cruising. 

Ditto, about 5 weeks until we get on the Sky

[OnTheJourney]

21 minutes ago, Haworth said:

about 5 weeks until we get on the Sky

Hmmm. Let me guess....Istanbul to Rome?  If so, you get off and we get on for the Cities of Antiquities. Tell me you're on our sailing...that'd be so cool. 

Edited December 9, 2022 by OnTheJourney

[Haworth]

24 minutes ago, OnTheJourney said:

Hmmm. Let me guess....Istanbul to Rome?  If so, you get off and we get on for the Cities of Antiquities. Tell me you're on our sailing...that'd be so cool. 

My mistake, typing whilst watching the World Cup, we are on the Star doing the Panama and Central America, maybe another time 🤞

[OnTheJourney]

LOL...no problem! Yes...maybe meet up again on some future cruise. I believe you recommended the Cities of Antiquities to me?  Unless I'm thinking of another of our Sky passengers. If it was you (I saved the quotes from CC but not who from) - the info mentions that it was on the Jupiter in March. Not sure what year. 

[OnTheJourney]

On 12/10/2022 at 5:08 AM, Haworth said:

It was me, one of our best ever cruises 

I thought so. Hope ours goes well. A bit longer trip than we typically do, after adding pre and post extensions. Just hoping for good weather (and good health...especially after getting covid during our  most recent cruise). Not fond of traveling during the winter months. Getting snow and ice today but hopefully not much accumulation. 

[Liz Masterson]

Looking at my Marine Traffic App it seem Polaris is on her way to Greece, probably for repairs… Fair winds and calm seas to her and her crew. Hope she’s ready for passengers again soon. 

[Heidi13]

22 minutes ago, Liz Masterson said:

Looking at my Marine Traffic App it seem Polaris is on her way to Greece, probably for repairs… Fair winds and calm seas to her and her crew. Hope she’s ready for passengers again soon. 

 

 

I'll suggest the Deck Officer picked the wrong destination in the AIS, as her ETA shows 19th December. Probably meant to select Fournier Bay, Antarctica. Greece would also not be a country known for quality ship repair.

 

The ship received temporary repairs in Punta Arenas, welding steel plate over the damaged windows, as it could be months to receive replacement windows. I believe the ship embarked pax today, commencing the next scheduled cruise.

[Liz Masterson]

16 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

 

I'll suggest the Deck Officer picked the wrong destination in the AIS, as her ETA shows 19th December. Probably meant to select Fournier Bay, Antarctica. Greece would also not be a country known for quality ship repair.

 

The ship received temporary repairs in Punta Arenas, welding steel plate over the damaged windows, as it could be months to receive replacement windows. I believe the ship embarked pax today, commencing the next scheduled cruise.

That's fabulous. Bravo to the repair team.